Fentress County Commission authorized four school budget amendments totaling over $1 million in grant funding for vocational education, tutoring, and special education.
Board of Education’s Kacee Harris said the funding represents revenue awarded to the department above its normal operating budget. Harris said the largest allocation comes from the $797,970 Innovative School Models grant, which is entering its final year of supporting vocational programs.
“Some highlights in there, we are looking at building a small farm at Clarkrange High School and a tunnel house at South Fentress,” Harris said. “There’s some really great career exploration software and all kinds of supplies for our current CTE classes that are in the middle schools and some for the high school as well.”
Harris said the commission also approved a $49,115 Extended Learning Program Grant for before and after school programs at Pine Haven Elementary. The board received a State Special Education Preschool Grant to fund an additional classroom at York Elementary.
“The bulk of that, it provides one teacher and two teacher assistants for that classroom,” Harris said.
Harris said the final amendment involved the $78,060 Tennessee Tutoring Grant, which provides intensive support for students.
“Ratio is either three to four kids and one adult for those kids that need that extra help,” Harris said. “So we were really excited to get this.”
Commissioner Kyle Cooper said the funds were not part of the school system’s original budget at the beginning of the year. Harris said the expenditures are balanced by new revenue sources listed within the amendments.